Relinquishing Parental Rights These standard instructions are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice about your case. If you choose to represent yourself, you are bound by the same rules and procedures as an attorney.

How do I give up my parental rights?

1. Identify what you need before you start your case.

* Before asking the court if you can relinquish (give up) your parental rights to a child, you and your child must go to counseling (depending on the age of the child the court may determine that counseling for the child is not appropriate).

* You will also need to get a copy of the child's original birth certificate OR a copy of the birth certificate application.

* The court may require the following additional documents:

1. Relinquishment Counseling Report

2. A statement from you about any payments; gifts; assistance; etc. that you may have gotten having to do with giving up the child, the pregnancy, or the birth

3. Adoptive Family Assessment

4. Social/medical histories

2. Identify where you should file your paperwork.

* You must file your paperwork in the county where the child lives, or in the county where you live.

* If a child placement agency is involved, you may file your paperwork in the county where the child placement agency is located.

* File your paperwork in district courtunless you are in Denver County. If you are filing your paperwork in Denver County, go to the Denver Juvenile Court.

3. Decide whether you and the other parent will file the case together.

* You and the other parent can file your case together, or you can file the case on your own.

* You decide if you want to file together or file on your own. The court cannot make this decision for you.

4. If you decide to file together with the other parent, follow these steps.

* If you decide to file the case together with the other parent, you will be known as the Petitioner and the other parent will be known as the Co-Petitioner.

JDF 489 Relinquishment Instructions- Non Expedited gives additional details on how to fill out these forms.

* Both you and the other parent will need to complete JDF 452 Petition for Relinquishment (Expedited and Non-Expedited) and sign it in front of a notary public or court clerk. You do not need to do this at the same time (Eg: you can sign in front of a notary or court clerk, give the other parent and have him/her sign in front of a notary or court clerk at a later time).

* Check the Relinquishment box in the top part of the form.

* Both you and the other parent will need to go to counseling to discuss giving up the child. Each parent will give their own JDF 453 Affidavit of Relinquishment Counseling form to the counselor to fill out proving that you both went to counseling. The counselor will sign both forms and return the forms to you.

* You and the other parent will need to complete a separate interrogatory form (questions that you must answer truthfully). The Father will complete JDF 512 Relinquishment Interrogatory - Father and the Mother will complete JDF 513 Relinquishment Interrogatory - Mother. These forms need to be signed in front of a notary public or court clerk.

* You can find a local notary public by looking in the Yellow Pages, on the Internet, or by going to your local bank.

* The court will set a date for a hearing. Make sure you and the other parent go to the hearing.

STEP 2 - File your forms with the Court

* Take your completed forms to the clerk at the counter in the courthouse. Give the forms to the clerk to file your case. Either you or the other parent can drop off the forms at the court, and it is not necessary that you both go together.

* Remember: Give a copy of the child's original birth certificate OR a copy of the birth certificate application to the clerk along with your completed forms.

JDF 489 Relinquishment Instructions- Non Expedited gives additional details on how to fill out these forms.

* Complete JDF 452 Petition for Relinquishment (Expedited and Non-Expedited) and sign it in front of a notary public or court clerk. Check the Relinquishment box in the top part of the form.

* Go to counseling to discuss giving up the child. Give JDF 453 Affidavit of Relinquishment Counseling to your counselor to fill out proving that you went to counseling. The counselor will sign the form and return the form to you.

* Complete an interrogatory form (questions that you must answer truthfully). Use JDF 512 Relinquishment Interrogatory - Father if you are the Father, or JDF 513 Relinquishment Interrogatory - Mother if you are the Mother. These forms need to be signed in front of a notary public or court clerk.

* You can find a local notary public by looking in the Yellow Pages, on the Internet, or by going to your local bank.

* The court will set a date for a hearing. Make sure you go to the hearing.

STEP 2 - File your forms with the Court

* Take your completed forms to the clerk at the counter in the courthouse. Give the forms to the clerk to file your case.

* Remember: Give a copy of the child's original birth certificate or a copy of the birth certificate application to the clerk along with your completed forms.

* After you file your forms with the court, you must arrange to have them delivered to the other parent. The process of arranging to have these forms delivered to the other parent is known as personal service.